JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Long-time friends of a Jacksonville shooting victim and crime witness said she was targeted after providing testimony that helped put another woman in prison.
We first reported Monday night when Cassandra Brown’s son said his mom was threatened multiple times before she was killed Friday.
It happened on Grothe Street, which is the same street where Brown witnessed a shooting just one year before.
Brown testified at trial against Carla Hill, who shot a man on Grothe Street last June. She was found guilty of aggravated battery by a jury. She was sentenced to life in prison.
Brown’s friends said when Brown first started receiving those threats, the man sending them was in police custody. We are not naming him, because the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has not confirmed he is a suspect in Brown’s killing.
Loved ones said when that individual was released, Brown became fearful for her life.
“When she told me he had threatened her, she went to the State Attorney’s Office,” said one of Browns friends, who wanted to remain anonymous for their safety. “I told her that was the right thing to do. I told her that she needed to keep going down there until they get this man off the street.”
And it was not just Brown who they said was threatened. Another one of her friends, who also spoke with Action News Jax anonymously, said she was as well.
“This man was threatening to kill us,” said Brown’s friend.
They believe if more protections were put in place, their loved one would still be here.
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Brown’s son Calvin believes that this incident could cause other crime witnesses to fear appearing in court to testify.
“They are going to think second about opening their mouth on what they seen,” said Calvin.
Witness and Victim Protections in Duval County
A local criminal defense attorney told Action News Jax there are certain protocols that the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office must follow for victims and witnesses to crimes. That protocol varies depending on the level of detail they can provide to police.
Defense attorney Belkis Plata said that if a witness reports feeling threatened, police can investigate, but they are limited.
None of the state’s counties have a witness protection program like the one used federally, but there are some options, like temporary relocation, authorized at the state level for certain serious crimes.
“The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office does not serve as a bodyguard for any person regardless of their involvement in the criminal justice system,” said Plata.
When witnesses come forward with concerns, she says there has to be a credible threat.
“Obviously, we want everyone to be protected. We want victims to feel comfortable to come forward and speak. But there’s just not a budget for services to provide any type of protection to people.”
AJ Jordan with MAD DADS, a local advocacy organization for victims of crime, believes this case should not stop people from speaking out.
“There are a lot of ways that we can get information to the police without being subject to our identity being revealed,” said Jordan. “You can call Crime Stoppers, you can call the JSO tip line, you can reach out to MAD DADS, you can even go to another county and call in the tips. I encourage people not to be scared and to continue to speak up.”
Action News Jax reached out to the State Attorney’s Office and JSO with a series of questions about the claims made in Brown’s case.
JSO said it’s still an active investigation and detectives are continuing to work through the available evidence and speak with potential witnesses.
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